Politics
who’s calling the shots •
More military personnel on the streets, but few resources for operations. The trade unions are calling for an urgent meeting with Meloni
On the day the Budget Bill was passed, eight trade union organisations representing the Armed Forces appealed to the Prime Minister and Mr Giorgetti to request funding for pensions, allowances, thirteenth-month bonuses and healthcare. But Mr Ciriani warned: “There aren’t enough resources to satisfy everyone.”
Giorgia Meloni is being asked for an ‘urgent’ meeting to follow up on her words and announcements. Luca Ciriani points out that ‘there aren’t enough resources to please everyone’, but on the day the Council of Ministers is set to approve the budget, the military unions are pressing the issue. Because, they explain, “investing in personnel is not a concession, it is a strategic choice for the country’s security”. All the more so at a time when the international situation is marked by conflict and the military is being deployed even more frequently in matters of public order, as was the case with the 500 military personnel sent to Milan for last Saturday’s demonstrations.
Eight organisations have signed the document – Usmia Army, Usmia Navy and Coastguard, Sim Navy, Amus Air Force, Sium Air Force, Aspmi Army, Siamo Esercito and Sam. They are calling for a meeting “to address the economic and pension priorities of military personnel within the framework of the Budget Bill”. Among their demands, in addition to financial allocations and firm commitments – including in terms of timelines – are responses regarding pensions, with structural funding; tax exemption for allowances and the thirteenth-month bonus; health insurance; and an update to the law on relocation allowances, so that the allocations are adjusted to reflect the current cost of living.
In the press release, the trade unions – which also call for “respect, recognition and dignity” – make no mention of Defence Minister Guido Crosetto, but address their comments to Giorgia Meloni and Giancarlo Giorgetti, the Minister for the Economy and Finance. Whilst acknowledging the “need to balance the books”, they await a response. They “do so in a constructive spirit”.
However, there isn’t enough to go round: “It will be a budget based on seriousness and responsibility,” Luca Ciriani noted this morning whilst speaking on SkyTg24. “There aren’t enough resources to please everyone.” Meanwhile, yesterday the chair of the Defence Committee, Forza Italia’s Nino Minardo, explained that discussions with the military sector had begun, particularly regarding pensions: “But now,” he admits, “we need concrete resources. The Budget Bill must strengthen the fund established in 2022 to provide a structural solution to the pension issue for military personnel and members of the police forces.”
